Inside Lost Soles

Don’t ever question whether Bradley students can break it down, because Lost Soles would definitely have something to say about it.

If you’ve heard Jay Z blasting in the corner Markin dance studio, then you’ve heard the hardworking sounds of one of Bradley’s greatest clubs.

Lost Soles is a hip-hop dance team that has been through some major transitions during the last four years, but they’ve seemed to come together stronger than ever this year.

The dance team mainly focuses on hip-hop but has also done some training with contemporary dance. Lost Soles tries to get its feet wet in a little bit of everything, and the talent on this team is extraordinary.

Senior civil engineeing major Josh Engelbrecht has been with the team since his freshman year, and in his final semester he is leading the group through hard work and dedication.

“It’s been amazing being a part of something that is such a large impact on a team,” Engelbrecht said. “We don’t just perform; we’ve become our own version of a family.”

Lost Soles was originally a side project stemmed from the group Hipnotiq, which was the former name of the dance troop that broke up in 2011.

Alongside Engelbrecht, Bradley alumni Derrick Apigo, Chris Radford and Sam Kirkegaard were some of the founding members of Lost Soles.

“We broke off originally,” Engelbrecht said. “It was shady and some people were mad, but a smaller team was more manageable at first.”

Eventually, the team found a way to bring it all back together. This year, 15 people make up the squad and range from freshmen to seniors.

Lost Soles’ commitment, passion and diverse personalities mold together for the perfect chemistry. This team showcases the art of hip-hop and dance in such a unique and beautiful way.

All practices are open and spectators are encouraged to join. Sit in on just one practice, and you’ll have the pleasure of experiencing some of the most creative minds on campus.

Senior marketing major Elyse Vasiliades was a member freshman year and has now returned for her last semester at Bradley.
“I can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing than dancing our last semester at Bradley together.” Vasiliades said.

The team has a competition at Purdue University on March 8. They will face other schools such as University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Michigan and other Chicago crews. A group called Dance2xs hosts the competition, and the team has attended every year that they can.

“I think we’ve made an awesome amount of progress in just the few short weeks we have been together since this semester’s auditions,” Vasiliades said. “Purdue should be a great first showcase for us.”

The team will also perform in Chicago later this semester at a big showcase called “Urbanite.” They’ll round out their performance season here at home, so all students will get a chance to witness their talent.

Engelbrecht is clearly very proud of how far this organization has come. After he graduates, he said he’s not sure where the team will go, but he is very pleased with his experience and the clubs reputation over the past four years.

“It’s been the most I’ve learned in the least amount of time,” Engelbrecht said. “It’s been about pushing people to the furthest limit and leading by example. I’ve seen more passion here than in anything I’ve ever been a part of.”

Lost Soles’ practices are held on Tuesday 8 to 11 p.m., Friday 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday noon to 2 p.m. at the Markin Center.